Cameron Crowe’s semi-fictional film memoir, “Almost Famous” captures the essence of the early seventies rock scene and uses well crafted dialogue and talented actors to propel its coming of age theme forward.
“Almost Famous” follows William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he gets thrown into the world of rock criticism. At only 15, Miller is chosen to tour with the fictional band Stillwater and write an article about them for Rolling Stone. While at a Stillwater concert, Miller meets the mysterious Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) who helps him find his place in the rock world and becomes his love interest. Miller is plagued with meeting deadlines and trying to stay objective as he becomes close friends with Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). Miller is faced with many difficult decisions as he transitions from adolescence to adulthood while on tour with a rock band.
Besides providing the occasional laugh, the humor in the film also breaks up the seemingly endless string of unfortunate events. Whether the band is fighting, Hammond refusing to be interviewed or Miller is being rejected by Penny Lane, the well delivered jokes are there just in time to relieve the monotony. Other witty one liners are dispersed throughout the movie. For instance, when discussing a new batch of groupies, Sapphire (Fairuza Balk) says, “Can you believe these new girls? None of them use birth control and they eat all the steak!”
The keen, witty dialogue would be nothing without the acting talents of Fugit and Hudson. Fugit fits right in to the role of a lonely yet brilliant adolescent boy. When Fugit’s voice cracks and wavers while confronting Penny Lane, it’s difficult to discern the actor from his role. Hudson does a magnificent job portraying Penny Lane, Stillwater’s groupie, or “band-aid” as she calls them. Hudson’s wisdom and mystique demand attention every time she is on screen. Even during emotional scenes her tears aren’t over done but come naturally to her. The delivery of her lines is flawless and Hudson makes her character memorable, something many other actors struggle to do.
Though “Almost Famous” is based on events from Crowe’s life, the film has a Hollywood perfect ending. Despite its somewhat predictable message, the ending of “Almost Famous” is familiar and welcome. Even if this semi accurate portrayal of Crowe’s life has a rose colored tint, there is no denying it is a well crafted film.
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